Kisame, the Leaf Ninja
by Nekotsume
Summary: The infamous Hoshigaki Kisame has ended up in the side of the angels...or at least one particular blonde shinobi. This new life will be difficult, but maybe he can do something to enjoy it... Yaoi, Crack Pairing, KisaNaru.
1. First Chapter

Author's Notes: Here be my grand multichap story. :D This is the idea that made me start writing fanfics…I was practising 'till now. X) This will get romantic a bit later on, but first I need to explain some things, like the name. :) And the end is still open…this will be a new kind of challenge for me. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing it.

And yeah, you might want to read the oneshot prequel, Predatory Nature, before this. Some things will be clearer.

And a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed my stories! It's thanks to your supportive comments that I built up the confidence to start this. :) There's nothing like comments to make an author's day…so please tell me if you like it, or if, most importantly, you think you spot something that doesn't make sense.

Disclaimer: Kisame and mostly everyone else here belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sama.

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**First Chapter**

Kisame slowly drifted awake only to find that his chest was aching like hell and moving any of his limbs in the slightest caused a feeling like one or two tendons might snap in two. Letting air hiss through his sharp teeth he opened his eyes wearily to look at the ceiling. He didn't recognise it.

His mind now crash-dumped into his consciousness the events of the last day. He had never been prone to excess facial expressions, which was handy now. Especially because of the people he sensed watching him.

He remained staring at the grayish-white ceiling with his face blank for a moment. Then, before he got too impolite he rolled his head to the side. He had indeed been correct. Oh, joy.

Decisively not wincing despite the wrenching pain in his chest Kisame righted his back and rose to a sitting position to nod as courteously as possible at the blonde woman observing him with a grim look on her pretty face.

"…Morning, Hokage-sama." More than a hint of sarcasm there.

The Fifth sighed and got up from her nearly lying position on the chair. The two animal-masked ANBUs in the both side of the hospital room's door seemed a lot tenser than the tired woman.

She didn't seem happy and the ANBUs certainly weren't, not now that they couldn't just cut up the shark-like ninja while he was vulnerable. Kisame wasn't too pleased either although this bizarre situation was, in the end, his fault.

Tsunade placed a hand on her waist and with the other gestured for the ANBUs to calm down. Wearily she spoke: "Hoshigaki Kisame. The Mysterious Person of Hidden Mist Village. The Daimyo killer. You certainly live up to your reputation, waking up so soon after the treatment. _Quite_ remarkable recovery speed."

Kisame just nodded again as he still didn't feel like jumping up and doing the proper court bows. He smiled as he oftentimes did in the weirdest of situations. "Maybe it is just that you are indeed as proficient as rumoured, Tsunade-hime-sama."

There was a silence in which the Hokage eyed Kisame, apparently trying to decide what to do, and Kisame realised he was wearing one of those unbelievably stupid hospital gowns with nothing to cover the backside.

With an exasperated sigh Tsunade glanced at the ANBU guards and ordered them to leave. To the other one's stuttered objections she snapped: "I can plenty well handle him alone until you get inside through that door! Now is it too much to ask you to obey your Hokage?"

The ANBUs swiftly filed out, but not without managing a couple of menacing looks at Kisame despite the masks.

Tsunade continued to glare after her underlings for a moment and Kisame looked around the room to confirm that his weapon, Samehada was nowhere to be seen as was his Akatsuki uniform. The only vacant outfit in the room seemed to be a neatly folded pile that looked a lot like a standard Leaf Village Jounin uniform complete with the village forehead protector.

"…Hm," Kisame uttered in mild disbelief, and the Hokage followed his eyes.

"Yes, well, before that is yours I'll need to hear something very convincing from you," the Sannin said dryly. "We're alone," she added when Kisame looked at the door.

"So tell me, Hoshigaki Kisame, why should I trust you? You are an S-class criminal and you are even now wearing your Akatsuki ring. You've betrayed a village once already and you have a history of…instability." She held a small pause but her gaze told the tall man that she wasn't finished.

"…I know you have a lot of valuable information and that as a working ninja you might be a great asset, but even if you could be fully trusted, you'd be a risk. Your friends in the Akatsuki will undoubtedly want revenge and to prevent their secrets being revealed, and sheltering you would endanger our treaty with the Mist. But still…" she bit her lip.

She actually bit her lip, slipping that much from the role of an unwavering Hokage and a legendary Sannin. Kisame blinked once.

"…What I want to know the most is why you would go out of your way, even risk your life by leaving the Akatsuki…as it seems to have happened…just to help one of my Leaf ninja?"

"That Kakashi already reported, I see?" Kisame only answered. Those Sharingan bastards could surely be annoyingly perceptive. But perhaps this was actually for the best. After all, the famous Tsunade seemed to…be affected.

"Answer my question."

"…Hm. I think you might know already." Kisame smiled in his usual way that conveyed nothing like happiness. "I believe I have spotted the fabled necklace of the First Hokage on the brat?"

The situation, especially sitting on a hospital bed with the damned paper gown didn't help make Kisame feel dignified. What he had done was irrational…this whole thing was. This was all very complicated. As an Akatsuki member he might have been on the wrong side of the law, but a lot more free than he believed he ever could be if he tried to return to a village, to the _normal_ society.

Tsunade's expression was impossible for him to read. It was annoying, undignified to explain it, but Kisame had to try or accept being locked up for life or perhaps executed on the spot.

"I will indeed be able to tell you a lot of things, Hokage-sama, but right now I guess I can only say…hmm…" Kisame rubbed the back of his neck irritated, although it made his arm hurt. How embarrassing… "…I would guess…I had been getting more and more fed up with the Akatsuki, and I had my doubts with the leader and my own safety…and…well, it seems I have some kind of a soft spot for the brat. It happened automatically in a way….instinctively. The situation was odd like that."

The blonde woman had studied Kisame's face carefully when he spoke and now she shook her head, looking confused and oddly amused for a while.

"The weirdest thing, Hoshigaki, is that I believe you. Naruto has…a gift like that. And I pride myself as a good judge of character." She gave him yet another scrutiny and seemed surprised by her words even herself. "…I guess I'll give you a chance."

Kisame had never, _never_ believed it could be this easy.

"You'll explain me everything, though, and remain under constant ANBU supervision for an undefined time. You won't take missions until you are fully recovered and I have obtained all your useful information. You will stay in Leaf and do whatever I tell you to, when I tell you to. You won't have access to your Samehada for a while but you will be granted a salary and an apartment. …But when the probation period is over…you'll be taking missions and receive payment. Any kind of treason or such will be treated with death penalty. You'll have a bit of a hard time…you'll understand the people are not likely to trust you."

Tsunade paused from her lecture to take a breath. Then he gave the rather stunned ex-Akatsuki an intense look. A dangerous look.

"..I'll have you know that right at this moment, largely because of _your_ Akatsuki influence, Naruto has been placed in containment. The counsel feels he is too much of a risk after having manifested the four tails of Kyuubi's power. He's…uncontrollable. Even despite Yamato's help…dangerous." Tsunade's expression was bitter. Kisame was quite surprised by this undisputed evidence that the Fifth Hokage truly did care for the blonde brat…maybe like he himself?

"I will not stand them holding him in that place forever, as they intend to. And you…_you_ caused this and you can't deny it. Never mind the circumstances. You will not go anywhere near that boy to stir him up. Is that clear?"

"Very." It was regrettable, Kisame would admit that, but maybe for the best concerning…everything.

Tsunade gave him yet another contemplative look. She then turned her eyes at the door. "…I believe you for some reason and I recognise Naruto's effect on people. But most will not believe. So behave yourself."

"…You told me that already, Hokage-sama. I am sure I can live with it. I believe I actually have a lifetime of practise."

This earned a curious look from the lady. Kisame's tone was sarcastic and bitter, as seemed quite usual for him.

"…Well. I'm sure we'll have a very interesting conversation about that, too in the evening. I need to go now, but after you've changed, you'll go with this gentleman."

The Hokage walked to the door and, opening it, summoned in the two fidgety ANBUs and a large, scarred man in a long black coat.

"This is Morino Ibiki and he will be…interviewing you for the day." The man even smiled, in a rather unpleasant manner at that.

"I'll tell you once again to behave yourself. I'll take it you are able to walk and talk now, but these eager boys might worsen your condition in a troublesome way if you were to give them any reason to," her voice was dry once again, weary.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." It really was all he could say.

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Author's Notes: Don't kill me yet if you feel it's not believable, wait for the second chapter at least… It will be a bit of a long one, and it should explain most things.

And I have to say I don't like the sound of Kisame's nickname in English. Kirigakure no Kaijin sounds cool, but "Mysterious Person"… But I try to be consistent with the names. ...To some extent…


	2. Second Chapter

Author's Notes: This update is for MeowMeow Man! -sniff- He was the first (not-one-of-my-friends) to review...I hope you can enjoy this!

So. This the chapter to explain it all...or almost all. It's a tad long but I guess you won't mind... :) I liked writing this one although it was pretty hard, too. ...But...I was sort of expecting it, but still...nearly no-one reviews. If you read, please review. I live for comments. Tell me why you don't like it, or something. (I only ask you to be civil.)

Ah yes...I place this fic somewhere around manga chapter 310. It takes a different direction than the manga from there on. (And I just randomly picked Grass Village for that one part. I don't remember the map...)

And I'm not going to repeat the disclaimer.

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**Second Chapter**

In the bleak little room where the ANBU had escorted Kisame, he sat in an uncomfortable chair as everyone was staring him down. The black coat seemed practically disappointed that Kisame cooperated without any tricks.

It was harder than speaking with Tsunade alone to recount everything to the interrogator and the four others in the room. But he told them everything he had about Akatsuki and their plans. They didn't touch the subject of Hidden Mist's secrets, though, not yet.

In the end he couldn't provide them with that much concerning Akatsuki, as the leader, undoubtedly wisely, held on to most of the details himself. But then he had to tell them about why he was here… That was harder than recounting the cold facts of what he knew of the criminal organisation.

--

That day Team seven was given a short B-rank mission, and for the first time in a long while, they operated with Kakashi instead of Yamato. Sai had been left behind as well. It had been Sakura's idea, but she had convinced her mentor, Tsunade, to support it as well. She had said it would be good for them to "have some together time". Sasuke was still with Orochimaru, the day of his becoming the snake master's new container nearing, but they had had no chance of getting him back since the poignant defeat at Orochimaru's lair. There their ex-team mate had coldly refused to come back, even tried to kill them. Maybe talking about it, getting the situation clear, _would_ do them good.

Kakashi had just been released from the hospital after a long convalescence of recovering from the after effects of his Mangekyou Sharingan. Upon his leaving Tsunade had personally come to tell him that in case he used his Sharingan again this soon, if the effect of it didn't kill him already, she would.

The three of them weren't given a dangerous mission partly because of that, but mostly because Naruto. Now that Yamato wasn't accompanying him, the village counsel wouldn't let him go too far or subject to real danger, for that might bring out Kyuubi. Only the favour of the Hokage let Naruto even set his foot outside Leaf's walls without the constant supervision of the ANBU captain who was the only one in Leaf Village able to control the demon to some extent.

Kakashi had tried hard not to show it, but both Sakura and Naruto realised he wasn't all that happy to have the remains of his team snatched away by Yamato. Maybe that was what had finally coaxed Tsunade to let them out as the old Team seven. Some might have said she cared too much about her subordinate's feelings, and such conduct would endanger the Leaf.

It was to be an exercise, a little bonding trip for them. Only a surveillance round to the Fire Country's closest border to see that there really was no-one from the slightly restless Grass Village crossing over. It was B-rank solely because there was a slight chance of encountering enemy shinobi, but they weren't expected to see anyone at all.

Unfortunately, the Akatsuki was just as resourceful as the counsel feared and Tsunade had hoped not to be. They had found out through a spy that the ninth Jinchuuriki, Naruto, was out of the Hokage's eyes, moving with an incomplete team and a superior in less than perfect state. Their three years were up, and after Shukaku, they moved in at the window of opportunity for Kyuubi.

That's how the Akatsuki pair Itachi and Kisame had ended up lurking near the Fire border. Naruto would walk right into their arms, and his two friends should be relatively easy to deal with.

While waiting rather casually in a large tree, scouting the area where Team seven should appear, Kisame was itching for a real fight. If he couldn't get that green idiot, he could at least do with the Sharingan bastard who had copied his technique. Provided that Itachi wouldn't hog all of the action again. But, on the other hand…

This was hard for him to admit to himself, but he still had a weird kind of a soft spot for the blonde kid. Itachi would probably fight the Jinchuuriki himself, hopefully leaving that pink-haired Haruno girl and Hatake to Kisame, but if it came down to it…could he bring himself to harm the kid? That one time nearly three years ago he hadn't been able to do it. He was sure…or _quite_ sure that as a ninja, he could stand aside let him be captured and robbed of Kyuubi…and his life…but the thought of directly attacking him made him feel unsure.

Staring blankly at the sky through the canopy of the tree, he realised his unexpected affection for Naruto hadn't really faded in these years. If something, it was only causing more trouble now that it had come topical again. In truth, his life in the Akatsuki seemed oddly bland with the thoughts of the blonde kid swimming around in his head. Somehow, that kid made questions like "Is this really the life I want?" pop up. As the mission had gotten closer, he had had harder and harder time to keep his face from showing his confusion.

Itachi suddenly stood up on his branch a bit higher than Kisame. The shark nin looked up and put a hand on Samehada, lying beside him. "What is it, Itachi-san?" He hoped his voice hadn't actually sounded as annoyed as he thought it had. Gradually losing his sight had made the Uchiha slightly more short-tempered, though all angriness usually manifested only as sulking and occasional coolly vicious comments. Figuratively tip-toeing around him was getting frustrating…but Uchiha Itachi wasn't a person to make angry, nonetheless.

"Something troublesome", the young man replied and stared at the woods. Kisame stood up to look the same way, and now also felt the chakra.

"Cheh…isn't that that little brother of yours?" Kisame let out, surprised. Of all times, now? How had he found them? "…Looks like we need to go through our contacts again. Someone has been tipping off Orochimaru."

"Be quiet," Itachi dropped monotonously. Kisame flexed his neck irately. One of these days…

The Uchiha brat wasn't even attempting to conceal his chakra. He stood some way into the woods, not yet visible. For a time, no-one moved. Then a flash, and Sasuke appeared on a thick branch opposite to Itachi. He was more composed now than the last time, but his face was contorted in a way that lent ground to suspicion that he was still not as calm as he acted. Kisame did a double take on his outfit. You could really see who had dressed him…the flimsy shirt with a neckline to his navel was like an invitation to that old pedophile Orochimaru. Not to mention the tell-tale purple rope on Sasuke's waist that marked the snake and his people.

Kisame glanced at Itachi, who showed no reaction. Too bad his eyes were pretty much gone. If he hated his brother, he should love this.

"Uchiha Itachi…" Sasuke hissed. "Send away your helper or I'll kill him first." That made Kisame break a wide, very annoyed smile. Those two were brothers for sure!

"Foolish brother," Itachi nearly sighed. "You still think you're a match for me like that?" He brushed away some dark bangs.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you now as my last deed…" Sasuke was starting to lose some of his cool. Kisame wagered he had run off on Orochimaru to try and take on his brother for the last time before their combining. The shark Akatsuki didn't feel too amused by this circus, since he had seen it once before. He looked at his partner again, hoping for the sensible reaction. Just kill the brat like you should have done years ago. This would ruin their mission.

"Kisame, watch the border," Itachi said detachedly. Kisame's jaw almost dropped. That sounded like he was going to take long…which meant he was just playing with the damn brother again!

At that point, the said brother needed no further signal, and unsheathed a trendy-looking sword from his back, jumping at Itachi with a scream.

Kisame grimaced and jumped to another tree. He'd be damned if he'd interfere in that. Let those Uchihas have their bout, then! But this would alert their target for sure…who was the foolish one to waste this chance of seizing Kyuubi?

Sasuke's brand new jutsu were flashy and loud, and the area where the brothers fought was soon covered in debris and clouds of dust. Kisame stood further away and watched with a frown, taking a look at the surrounding area every now and then. If Team seven wouldn't see the dust, they'd hear the booming. And Kisame still wasn't so sure whether he had the willpower to initiate the battle by himself.

I didn't take that long for a small dog, clothed in Leaf's colors, to sneak into the area. Kisame saw it, but the creature seemed so shocked by the show-down of Itachi and Sasuke, that it didn't notice the shark nin and bounded away again. Kisame wondered if there was a way to let Itachi know, and cautiously moved closer to the latest explosion crater.

He found a slightly breathless Itachi standing over the convulsing body of his little brother. He had gotten him in a genjutsu, then. "They're coming, Itachi-san," Kisame said after a short while of looking at the scene.

"…" Itachi straightened his back and turned at Kisame.

They were faster to arrive than Kisame had expected, and right then Naruto came tearing through the forest, screaming "Sasuke!" Kisame had just enough time to feel a bit of frustrated pity at the boy for still wasting compassion to a lost cause like Sasuke, but then he had to evade a bunch of dogs coming through the ground everywhere around them.

Samehada made the attacking summon creatures disappear in puffs of smoke, and Itachi had also made short work of the ones disturbing him, and whisked some kunai at the teary-eyed, angry Naruto. Kisame's stomach lurched in a worrying way at that, and he almost forgot to block the last dog. The kunai met, surprisingly, and Naruto also poofed to a cloud of smoke. Itachi's eyes flicked to the side, and that was enough to make Kisame turn and receive the five Narutos jumping at him from the trees. Despite the new attack, he registered letting out a small sigh of relief.

A feeling in one of their chakra made Kisame pull off and evade instead of trying to shave through it, too. He was lucky, since the "Naruto" punched the ground instead of him, creating a huge crater. Kisame recognised Tsunade's fighting style. Some of the Naruto clones he had hit also hadn't offered any resistance and hadn't dissipated, which meant that to add to the confusion, there were regular clones amidst the tangible shadow clones.

Many more Narutos appeared from the trees, and some of them were carrying swirling Rasengan spheres in their hands. The attack seemed more focused on Itachi, which made Kisame crinkle his nose in annoyance. Just a few clones and the Haruno girl to take him down, eh? Growling, he flicked through a series of hand seals and spat out one of his favourite water jutsu.

Some of the clones popped in the huge water torrent, but Kisame still couldn't be sure which ones of the remaining where regular or shadow and which one was Haruno, not to mention Hatake Kakashi, who was probably hiding somewhere. Some Narutos were holding Sasuke and Itachi and the clones surrounding him had also gotten on top of the suddenly appeared lake. The Uchiha cast him an irate look in the middle of dodging a Rasengan. Sure, they hadn't been supposed to make a commotion, but Itachi's battle had already done that, anyway. At least Kakashi couldn't use his earth element jutsus now, and Kisame had the advantage of home ground.

That wouldn't last for more than a moment, though, as some of the treetops already started to come visible from the water. This wasn't like the valley where Kisame had fought the green beast and his team, and the water was flowing away, causing the surface to break and crash in turbulence like a stormy sea. Kisame lost sight of Itachi, but it was fine, since he was finally getting into the battle.

Grinning widely, Kisame ran at the nearest Narutos as he simultaneously did some seals. Maybe he _could_ overcome his reluctance to hurt the kid like this. He only needed to lose himself in the heat of battle and think of all of them as clones or someone using a transformation technique.

A large, shark-shaped gush of water sprang from a wave at the Narutos as Kisame descended on them with his Samehada. They were smart enough to try to evade, some of them. The ones that didn't go poof were normal clones, so Kisame ignored them and turned, slashed, and kicked at the ones that were still scrambling around on the milling waters. As the Narutos then allowed him a brief cautious distance, he brought his other hand into a quick seal and created some water clones. All of the Kisames continued to smile predatorily, as they more or less coordinated brought down the shadow clones. The one Naruto that remained unscathed and disintegrated the clones to puddles using a bit different-looking punches then received Kisame's undivided attention.

On unsure footing, Sakura had to just keep dodging Samehada's blows that splashed into the water and rose up again with almost no regard to water resistance, and when an unexpected wave pushed him to a tree-trunk, Kisame got her in the side.

Sakura screamed but pushed off the tree and jumped further. The water was nearly gone, and she didn't sink too deep although she fell through the surface and collapsed on her knees. She was once again herself, the guise of Naruto fallen apart at the hit, and the remaining regular clones disappeared. Her deep red blood spurted into the swirling, splashing water. Kisame whisked Samehada back into his back, making some blood dribble off it from movement. The girl wouldn't make any more trouble as her chakra must have been mostly gone, thanks to the shark-skin blade.

Now Kisame allowed himself a look at his partner, and realised he should have paid more attention to him. Sakura fell to the soaked ground with a splash, but Kisame let her be and jumped up to the trees, proceeding fast to where he sensed the flare of different chakra.

It was close by, but the shark nin was already late. Itachi had been low on chakra to begin with because of his pointless fight with Sasuke, more than Kisame had thought, and Kakashi probably knew how to exploit his poor eyesight. And Naruto had been on the verge of falling into a Kyuubi-powered battle rage, regardless of what their contacts in Konoha had said about the Hokage taking precautions to stop it. There was nothing like threatening his friends to turn him into a red chakra bursting monster, especially something concerning that Uchiha brat.

It figured: about the only time he failed to remind the "Uchiha genius" about his chakra, he actually forgot!

Itachi was standing a small distance from Kakashi, who had his Sharingan eye revealed, and Naruto in a little clearing. His posture was worse than usual and he was clutching his right side. A bit further back, behind the two Leaf ninja, someone who Kisame bet was a shadow clone of Naruto was crouched over Sasuke, who moved like he was about to wake up.

And sure enough, Naruto's whisker marks were larger than usual, and his eyes had turned red with the slit pupils of Kyuubi. Kakashi clearly regarded him with caution, and the boy himself stood in a crouched position, shivering violently.

As Kisame, still unnoticed, observed from the tree Itachi's shoulders slumped even more and he coughed. The sound had a nasty wet tone and Kisame frowned. This had escalated into an unpleasant situation…he wasn't entirely sure he could take on both the Copy-nin and Naruto-nearing-Kyuubi himself. And not to forget it was _Naruto_. If he really thought about it, who did he have more goodwill towards…?

Naruto growled slightly and looked like he was fighting himself. Itachi didn't yet seem like he was about to give up without a fight. "Calm down now, Naruto," Kakashi said emphatically. "No need for that now."

"…I'll finish him," the Copy Nin claimed. Kisame blinked. That still sounded a bit pompous. He _was_ talking about Itachi.

"Hmph," Itachi uttered, probably agreeing with Kisame. He showed no other sign of his plans except a flash of his eyes before making a shadow clone and dashing forth with his famous speed. He didn't target Kakashi, though, but Naruto, who cringed back, trying to block with his hands. Kakashi was busy with Itachi's clone, backing away towards the tree line, but just as Kisame moved to jump in too, Naruto lashed out at the Uchiha, paying no heed to the wounds he had gotten from his kunai. Itachi was surprised by this, too, and Naruto got a slash at him. He was beyond using tools, and his nails -or at this point, claws- were enough. Naruto's shadow clone made a strangled sound and disintegrated by itself. Too much Kyuubi chakra.

Itachi retreated, as Naruto dropped on all fours and prepared to follow. "You'll…leave Sasuke alone!" he snarled.

For some reason, Kisame had halted again when Itachi got hit, and to his surprise, he now saw Sasuke raising his head. Everyone was shocked as the boy hoarsely uttered: "No!"

Naruto, like an idiot, turned and seemed to forget all about Itachi.

"Naruto!" Sasuke spat and gave him a glare that was not only menacing; he had his Sharingan activated. "You won't steal my vengeance!"

As that one time before, three years ago, Kisame's body just seemed to act on its own. He saw Sasuke get up, amazingly fast for someone in his state, and lunge at the stunned Naruto, clearly intent on killing him with a Chidori gathering in his hand. He saw Orochimaru's stain, the curse seal, creep over his skin and his mouth widening in a hate-filled scream. In the same time he jumped through the air, the tree bark cracking from chakra where his feet had been, and without a thought, without a moment's hesitation he gutted Sasuke with his Samehada. Sasuke was good enough to notice and try to block it, but in his state he wasn't fast or strong enough to avert Kisame, who also had the momentum on his side.

So much blood gushed on Kisame and Naruto, and Sasuke made a small, awful sound as his eyes glazed over even before his corpse forcefully hit the ground. Kisame, who wasn't stupid, turned and jumped further as soon as he saw that Sasuke was indeed dead.

Killing Sasuke didn't feel like anything. He didn't even get the delightful rush he was used to. As his eyes hit Naruto's face, he knew why he couldn't enjoy killing the boy, no matter how he had thought him to be annoying. Naruto was frozen, as if the Sharingan was still holding him. His mouth was lax, slightly open, and tears flowed from his eyes, mixing to the red blood on his face. But he didn't blink. He folded on his knees and slowly, slowly reached a hand to Sasuke's corpse.

Everyone was still, unprofessionally shocked. Kakashi's throat made a slight "-N…" He should know, Kisame thought, he should know that he should have done what Kisame did first. But he had hesitated, because Sasuke used to be his star pupil. And Itachi, too, leaning on one knee, should have stricken his little brother down before he would have killed the ninth Jinchuuriki, and the Bijuu as well, their target. But he hadn't, because it was his brother.

"…Kisame…." Itachi whispered. "…That was…unnecessary." His eyes looked a bit wide, and Kisame felt an odd, rebellious glee. "I see that we needed to preserve the Jinchuuriki, but I…had uses for him still." Kisame was silent for a moment, but his insides were in an upheaval too. He had the feeling you sometimes get, when you start to want to make something drastic. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't, and then he looked like he was about to surprise himself, too.

"…You know what? You shut up, Itachi-san." He stood up straight and pointed Samehada at the young man, who now frowned in a way he would, in another situation, think absolutely laughable on Itachi. This felt right, for some reason. "...I think I'm quite fed up with the Akatsuki," Kisame said levelly, and Kakashi blinked and shook his head as if to clear his mind from an illusion.

"You what?" Itachi asked faintly.

Kisame decided to ignore him, because he was very aware of Naruto. "Kakashi-san, do you happen to have something that would help Naruto restrain himself?"

Kakashi mostly just stared. Kisame glanced at Naruto and continued quickly. "I realise the situation, but you have my word you can trust me this time." He had to force the words out, but he knew this might be the only way to get the Copy Nin to cooperate, and he didn't want to fight against all three of them. "…That damn kid…he…I think he has a way with people. I just...don't want to see him dead." He hoped Kakashi would understand him. "And you know I can't go back to Akatsuki anymore, at least."

At this point, Naruto prevented any more conversation. He uttered a wordless cry and even Kisame flinched as his chakra jumped. He spun around as red chakra emerged in liquid-looking bubbles through his orange coat. He was growing a second tail by the time he was flying at Kisame. His scream was rage, but also sadness, and abundant tears were still falling before dissipating inside the chakra coating bubbling over him.

Kisame managed to block and retreat for some time, but he had subdued to the fact that he couldn't hurt the blonde kid after all. He didn't want to see him hurt, and for that he had killed Sasuke, but that may have hurt the kid more than taking the Uchiha's blow. Naruto had no such qualms, though, and completely ignoring everything but the killer of his best friend, fought in a berserker rage.

Kakashi had evidently followed the process, and seeing that Kisame purposefully left some openings unused, was convinced. He appeared before the Kyuubi's vessel and tried to hit his forehead with a small paper slip. Naruto ducked and nearly took Kakashi's arm off with an extending chakra limb. He didn't even recognise friends anymore.

"Give it to me," Kisame grunted. Kakashi didn't have time to argue, and he wasn't in the reputation of a quick ninja for nothing. Kisame was in better condition, and possibly better in taijutsu. He slapped Jiraiya's note, carrying the characters of sealing, into the blue hand. They were forced to scatter as Naruto, going on the third tail, struck down to where they had been.

Determinedly Kisame squeezed the seal paper and shot forward to Naruto. His fourth tail was about to form, and Kisame had heard that was bad. He couldn't afford caution anymore. Kisame roared with Naruto and slashed Samehada at the boy. As he had hoped, Naruto evaded the blow easily and moved closer. He smacked the Samehada aside and struck upwards, driving the claws and the searing chakra into Kisame's chest.

"Guhh!" Kisame gasped and blood dribbled through his grimace. But he managed to press the paper slip to the boy's brow. His red eyes went blank sickeningly similarly to Sasuke a moment ago, but then the bloody color slowly started to drain out.

Naruto's blow had been worse than he had expected, and as he pulled the still smallish hand out of the wound, his legs felt weak and he collapsed on his knees. "Fuh," he voiced and licked blood from his lips. That was…a wound bit too severe for his tastes. Naruto sat still like a statue, and it didn't look very pleasant to Kisame. Kakashi quietly walked over and said in a hushed voice:

"Seems like Itachi left when our attention was on Naruto. I guess he judged he couldn't take us on like he was, but I think he might have remained close by. So act like you are ok." Kisame looked up. He had covered his Sharingan again, but he looked like shit, barely able to stand without swaying. The shark nin could recognise the overuse of Sharingan easily.

"Easier said than done," Kisame breathed, grasping his wound. It was bleeding worrisome amounts. Kakashi observed him quietly and crouched in front of Naruto, placing a hand on his eyes. He probably used a genjutsu to make the kid go to sleep. "…Do you believe me now, Kakashi-san?" Kisame asked dryly.

"Maybe." Kakashi didn't look at him and checked Naruto's necklace, moving it firmly against his skin, and set his now limp body to lie on the ground. With feigned aloofness, he asked: "Now, where is Sakura?"

Kisame's face fell slightly, and he told the Leaf. Kakashi set off after a look at his new ally that made him feel uncomfortable. How should he have known something like this would happen? It was self preservation, really.

Kakashi returned soon, half carrying Sakura, who was -remarkably- conscious. Guess what they said about her part in the death of Sasori was true, then. Kakashi had probably briefed Sakura about the situation, but he still had to restrain her when she saw the corpse of her old crush. She gained some respect from the missing-nin, though, because she managed to rein in her emotions and do as Kakashi ordered her to: She used green healing chakra to patch up Kisame as much as she could despite that she was silently weeping and gritting her teeth. Kisame didn't miss the sharp look Kakashi gave to his wound. Yeah, he probably couldn't hide it from the Leaf. They would guess it anyway.

Kisame bandaged himself with a little help from Kakashi, and they set to limping back to Leaf Village. Kisame had decided to accept what was now coming for him, whatever it may be. He would have never dreamed of trying to do this with any other village, but Leaf was known for its mushy idiots. He just hoped they would be mushy enough not to kill him, but they _were_ ninja. In any case, his fate had pretty much been decided when he spoke to Itachi.

They had no way of carrying the youngest Uchiha's corpse with them, and they couldn't tardy around with Itachi somewhere and the possibility of Orochimaru's minions showing up after Sasuke. As a former ANBU Kakashi knew very well that an Uchiha body couldn't be left lying around, and expended some of his waning chakra to burn him as Sakura sat further away, staring at the pyre with tears in her eyes and the comatose Naruto in her lap. As he finally turned into ashes, the girl buried her face into Naruto's coat, trying to stifle her crying.

Kisame watched quietly.

--

Kisame ended his story by telling his audience how they had then been found by a border patrol, which was his last memory before passing out. They had some more questions after that, and Tsunade joined them after a while. Kisame had no way of telling what time it was, but he estimated the interrogation lasted long into the night. When Tsunade and her five subordinates had learned everything important about Kisame's childhood, years of acting as a Mist ninja and time in the Akatsuki, the woman finally settled and ordered for some food to be brought for the shark nin.

Kisame felt empty, as if all the knowledge had seeped out of him some of his spirit, too. His biggest secret probably hadn't been that much of a surprise to Tsunade, but her worries were even more evident on her face than before. His underlings looked at each other like they wanted to whisper among themselves, but were much too professional for that.

The Hokage sighed and crossed her hands in her lap. "This might prove to be very troublesome indeed." She looked up at Kisame, and then at the interrogators. "This is, as is obvious, very S-class information. You are not to relate it to anyone. …I'll tell the counsel myself."

She rose, and so did everyone else except for the shark nin. He was, maybe a bit foolishly, still not wearing the Leaf forehead protector, but had in fact carried it in his hand to this place.

Tsunade unexpectedly smiled lightly, but it wasn't without certain sarcastic quality. "From now on, you can wear that forehead protector, Kisame. For the time being…and hopefully for a long time…on my authority as the Hokage, you are a Leaf Jounin. You may go, but watch your step in the village. And I might call for you any time. …I trust you can control yourself." The last sentence was accompanied by a calculative look.

Kisame got up, and even succeeded in not swaying. "Good night then, Hokage-sama." He inclined his head in a small bow, and tied the metal plate on his forehead. The familiar ANBUs came in as Tsunade left, and with forced courtesy, led Kisame, the Leaf ninja, out into the night.

---------------------------

Author's Notes: Yeaah...that was the longest chapter I've posted here...even my oneshots are shorter. The next one will be shorter again, and it will have the first yaoi-ness in this fic...with the surprise pairing! ;)

Please don't kill me if you like the Uchihas...it's just that I love to hate them. Ahaha... (Or Sasuke, at least.) I didn't kill him just for fun, though... It'll have effects later, as I'm sure you understand.

So please review now if you dragged yourselves through it all, and if you see where I'm wrong...tell me. I wouldn't want Kisame to act weird...or TOO weird, at least.


	3. Third Chapter

Author's Notes: The chapter three, now slowly getting back to what I like writing the most… XD Hope you all like it, and in any case, don't forget to review. ;)

Nothing smart to say now, except thanks to all who reviewed again.

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**Third Chapter**

Kisame woke up to see another ceiling he wasn't quite used to. At least he remembered coming to the room, but it had been dark and he hadn't wasted time to stare at the ceiling once he got to bed. The wound Naruto had given him still ached despite Tsunade's ministrations and his own rapid healing rate. This time the shark nin allowed himself to lie down a bit longer and moved his arms behind his head, contemplating the situation. The day before yesterday – an S-class missing-nin in the Akatsuki. Today – a respectable Leaf Jounin.

That made him smile crookedly. He would see how easy that really was today. Had Tsunade already notified the village of Kisame's situation, or would some dutiful ninja jump at him when he went out? He wondered a bit what would happen if someone decided to attack him. Would the ANBU guards following him step in or would he be able to handle it himself? …Probably not. Tsunade wouldn't like the newly accepted ex-criminal getting into a fight, no matter how Kisame would have preferred to kick the arse of whoever tried to take him on himself.

The newest Leaf ninja heard a bird singing outside. That amused him for some reason. It was all so…pretty. Sighing slightly he decided to get up and dropped his feet on the floor. He slowly got dressed in his brand new Leaf uniform. Frowning a bit, he rolled his shoulders. The navy blue shirt wasn't exactly his size…he knew he was bigger than they usually come, but the Leaf Village should have _one_ uniform in his size, right? He wondered if this was some kind of a little punishment from Tsunade. In any case, he would go and order an outfit more to his liking from a tailor as soon as he got his first salary.

He wandered around the little apartment the Hokage had given him. The bedroom, a small living room combined with a kitchen corner, and a toilet with a shower. The place was also furnished in a sensible, dull fashion. Nothing extravagant, but he was okay with it. He wasn't much of an indoors person, and he suspected he'd spend most of his time on missions as soon as the lady Hokage got the papers, and the counsel, in order.

Finally, stomach growling, he opened the fridge to find – nothing. He smiled slightly and shut the door. Now he noticed a wallet near the sink. Inside he found enough ryous to buy himself groceries and hopefully the new outfit, too.

Breakfast out it was, then.

He pulled on the Jounin vest and the forehead protector, too, no reason to let them forget that he was part of the village now, and stepped outside. He locked the door with the key they had given him last night. As he turned, one of the ANBUs he had known to be watching, appeared in front of him.

"Perhaps you had better stay in your quarters until the village is better informed of your situation," said a voice with a practised lack of emotion from behind the animal mask.

Kisame gave the man, about a head shorter than him, a little fanged smile. He bet the guy was happy of the mask. "I'm sorry, but I have nothing to eat, and convalescing makes me hungry." There was a silence, and the ANBU didn't move.

"If you don't want me to go, maybe you will run the errand for me. I think I could find a pen to write a shopping list," Kisame offered, still grinning. He judged that it would be almost as fun to stay home, if he got the ANBU to go shopping for him.

The man seemed to find the idea as embarrassing as Kisame found it funny. He stepped aside and muttered: "Please do not cause trouble."

"I wouldn't dream of it," the shark nin answered with just enough sincerity, and nodded at the vanishing ANBU.

He strode out to find a place that would serve breakfast, noting that there were probably around three ANBUs following him. He felt oddly elated despite that, and the fact he wouldn't probably see a decent fight in a long time. He had had to develop a way to answer to scorn and distrust, and his way had been the smile, and hopefully inspiring a certain fearful respect. As long as he got their respect in some way, be it battle prowess or just looking scary, he was happy. He didn't want to fool himself by thinking that this would be great new start, but maybe getting rid of the Akatsuki had perked him up.

He had to stifle a laugh as he noticed that the weather was near perfect and the air smelled nice. No, he still wasn't going to believe his life would be great from now on. He still wore the Akatsuki's ring on his left ring finger, and they'd come for it…he was still going to die.

The day was nearing noon, and he soon got tired of trying to pick a restaurant and just walked into a ramen stand that was out in the open by a small village square. He sat on one of the stools, waiting for the owner's reaction with curiosity. It could be anything from trying to attack him, if the man was a former ninja, or the usual quiet caution he encountered when people didn't know him.

"Welcome!" said the man cheerily as he turned around. Actually seeing his customer made his eyebrows rise, but he rebounded with unusual success. "What can I get you?" he asked a bit more composedly, but he was definitely someone who didn't recognise him, and treated him more normal than most.

Kisame eyed the menu on the wall. "A pork ramen, please."

The man complied swiftly and started to prepare the dish. He moved around with his back at Kisame, and after a while, said a bit carefully: "I haven't seen you around before."

"I am new to the service," the shark nin grinned.

"You don't look like you just graduated from the academy," the owner smiled and placed the steaming bowl in front of him.

"I'm originally from another village," Kisame replied amiably and cracked himself a pair of chopsticks. The man didn't say anything more, and Kisame focused on his meal.

Upon leaving, he left a nice tip, for he could appreciate courtesy when he actually came across it. He couldn't really afford this kind of behaviour for very long with this one payment, though, but he still had enough for the new outfit. So now he started looking for a tailor. As it was early afternoon, most people were at work and the streets of Leaf Village quite vacant. That suited him just fine, as it probably did the ANBUs. No-one for him to cause trouble with.

Kisame knew enough of the Leaf's town plan not to get lost, but finding a tailor was even more difficult than a restaurant that he'd like. Finally he spotted a place, and stepped in with a little tingling of the bells on the door. This merchant wasn't as agreeable as the owner of the ramen stand, but Kisame managed to order his outfit. Tsunade seemed to have been overly gloomy, though, for the normal villagers didn't seem to know anything about him. The ninja might be a different case, but if he could conduct his usual business this easily, some grumpy shinobi were a small annoyance. And he wouldn't even mind a fight or two, if he could get away with it.

Getting out of the tailor's, he again felt the ANBU eyes on his back. For a moment, he missed his Samehada that was probably somewhere being studied. That thought made him smile. They must be having an interesting time with moving the weapon, as it would tear the hands of anyone but him. But if they felt safer not giving the weapon to him just yet, he could live with it.

Instead of going to shop for things to fill his fridge with right away, he pondered about visiting the hot springs Leaf was famous for. He had a liking to baths of all kinds, and that was something he had sort of wanted to try the last time he was in Leaf, too. He felt like washing himself after the fight and the hospital, so he decided to get the groceries and then head to the spa. He had nothing more sensible to do right now, anyways.

In the weekday afternoon most would still be working, and he wouldn't be disturbed. He would have liked to take the opportunity to have a quiet look at the bathing men, a chance he usually shamelessly exploited when having the chance to visit a spa, but he figured he could go now to keep Tsunade happy. And the thought of the ANBUs peeping at the bath amused him enough.

--

Umino Iruka was currently rather depressed, and his class seemed to have noticed this. The children stayed quiet and at least feigned interest in the subject. Iruka had to smile at this, and let the class out a bit earlier than usual. Naruto's confinement made him feel sad, and though he appreciated the Hokage for standing up for the boy, it didn't seem to be enough anymore. He knew most of what had happened, including the death of one of his old pupils, as he also worked as a secretary in the Hokage tower every now and then. And Tsunade had been very understanding with Iruka, because he was one of Naruto's closest friends.

As his habit was, he decided to use the two-lesson gap of free time he had in his curriculum to go to the hot springs. He could use the soothing effect of the warm water. He liked it a lot there, but he just couldn't bring himself to go when there would be people. Then he couldn't avoid looking at the other men, and he felt dirty, like he was insulting them if he looked at them like that and they didn't even know.

He was shocked to see another Leaf uniform like his in the men's locker room, and stopped at the door. No-one had ever been here at this time before! And why _now_, of all the times? He had wanted to try and relax in peace… He couldn't turn back, though, for he feared that the receptionist might get suspicious, and he _had_ paid for it…and he would feel so stupid.

Swallowing hard, he pulled off his clothes and folded them neatly on the bench. He draped himself in a towel and reached a hand up to his pony-tail…but then decided to keep his hair up. He'd go in, so as not to feel like an idiot, but he still didn't want to spend the time washing his hair would take.

He gathered his courage and stepped outside, to where the spring was. He hoped the blush on his cheeks would be mistaken to be caused by the warmth. He padded along to the edge of the pool, not looking at the other man in the water. Thank God the spring was so big! He put the towel away and slinked in as far away from the other as he could without looking suspicious. Only now he allowed himself to glance at the other man.

--

Kisame heard someone coming and turned his head in surprise. He wouldn't have thought someone would come, but he didn't really care that much in the end. Grinning slightly, he only hoped that the guy would be good looking.

He wasn't disappointed, as a young, lean male walked in and came closer. Kisame thought his pony-tail was rather girly, situated that high. And he stared at his toes like a shy little maid. The shark nin made no effort to hide his scrutiny, but the brown-haired one didn't even notice as he avoided looking at him so determinedly. Kisame's smile didn't fade.

As the young man slid into the bath, Kisame checked his grin somewhat, but didn't remove his eyes from the trained figure. He was a ninja judging by his fitness, and the scar on his nose spoke for that, too. Kisame decided he rather liked the scar. By now, he wasn't really expecting the man's reaction when he finally lifted his gaze enough to see him.

The man sprang up with a splash, his eyes wide. "You're…Hoshigaki Kisame!" he gasped and his hand moved as if trying to grab a kunai where his pouch wasn't anymore.

Kisame appreciated the view, and didn't move. He didn't get the feeling this little guy would be a threat to him, especially without weapons of any kind. "Yes, that's me," he replied levelly.

"You…! You…killed my pupil! And…Naruto…!" the man stuttered and retreated back to the ground. His fighting stance wasn't that bad.

Kisame's smile faded, but he still didn't move. "…Yes. I suppose. I do not know how much you know of the situation, but…" He was cut off by the other man.

"I have read the reports!" he said in a strangled note.

"Then you know I was accepted into the ranks of Leaf ninja."

The man didn't reply and stood there, looking torn. That is when one of the ANBUs decided to appear.

The young man flinched and moved to cover himself, which almost caused Kisame to break a smile again. The ANBU looked at the two of them and spoke to Iruka.

"Umino-san, please calm down. It is as he says, and we are to keep fights like this from happening." He didn't sound that happy, though.

The man didn't answer, but his lips twitched as if he had wanted to say something. He proved to be a very reasonable person, though, as he breathed in and out a couple of times. "…I…see."

The ANBU nodded and apparently addressed the air. "Please refrain from fighting. …Thank you." He used the technique they seemed so fond on, and disappeared again.

The brown-haired man was left there standing awkwardly, still covering himself with his hands.

Kisame looked at him in silence.

He started blushing rather badly, but didn't move for the door. Then, with a very determined look, he removed his hands and walked back into the bath, sitting with a little splash. His face wasn't getting any paler.

"…I figured those ANBUs were into peeping," Kisame said mildly after a while of heavy silence. The young ninja's brows jumped up and into a frown again. He still glared at the water as if his life depended on it.

It was getting a bit pressuring, even to Kisame, and he just couldn't let a teasing chance like this pass him. He tried again.

"Umino-san, is it?" He was rewarded with a cold glance only. "…I'm sorry for Naruto." He was sort of surprised that there was yet another person here that cared for the Jinchuuriki.

Now the man raised his eyes and stared at him. "Why would you say that?" he said, and Kisame didn't feel comfortable with that cold look any more.

Slightly annoyed, he said: "Look, if you read the reports, you should know that I saved his life. And that I left the Akatsuki. That should have some reason behind it, yes?"

Now the young man looked slightly surprised. He averted his eyes for a moment, and then looked back in an evaluating way. Kisame looked back, and noticed when his gaze slipped lower and the blush returned as he shut his eyes. That little smile he couldn't suppress.

"…I'm Umino Iruka." the man said composedly after a while.

"Nice to meet you, then. You seem like a very sensible man." Kisame smiled. That name amused him enough alone. This had been fun, but he assessed that he had spent enough time soaking in the springs. With a concealed mischievous grin he got up and to his satisfaction, Iruka speedily looked away again. Hmm.

"See you again, Umino-san," Kisame said politely as he draped the white towel on his waist and returned to the locker rooms. The man didn't answer, but Kisame was happy enough that he seemed to have gotten over the impulse of attacking him.

As he walked home, his mind turned to Naruto again. Iruka had interrupted his dwelling on the blonde's fate, but this revelation that he was Naruto's former teacher –had to be if he had taught the Uchiha brat, too- had brought it all back to him.

His odd good mood couldn't last through that, and by the time he was back at the little apartment, he was hoping for a mission that would let him kill some people to vent his depression. He wondered absent-mindedly if the Leaf ninja were advised against such thoughts, namely, enjoying killing, but he concluded that at least some of them ended up liking it anyway.

He sent the rest of his day hoping for a call from Tsunade, as that might let him think of something else. And by six o'clock, a summons came. He managed to forget Naruto, whom he pictured sitting in a forbidding cell all alone and empty-eyed like he was the last time he saw him, but when he was lying in his bed again, he returned. The thought that he'd put him in the trouble he was nibbled at his consciousness. And…other things.

Naruto had grown as he was around 15, now, but he still seemed so small. And cute. And he was still wearing orange, maybe a sign of naiveté? Kisame clenched his eyes shut. It wasn't such a good idea to keep thinking about him. The kid probably hated him now…he had killed his best friend, even if it was to save him. Would he even see that?

In the silence of his apartment, as he tried to rid himself of the thoughts of Naruto, the image of the long-haired young man he had met today unexpectedly swam up. Umino…Iruka.

Maybe the name could be an omen.

Kisame revealed his teeth in the dark. Yes. That boy could at least use some help to get out of the closet.

---------------------------

Author's Notes: I like Iruka. Oh yes, I do. He's so cute...and I love it when a character is so sensible. X) And if there happens to be someone who doesn't know yet, Iruka means "dolphin"….just like Kisame is "demon shark". Hehehe…it's so perfect, isn't it? X3

Now, next chapter will bring back Naruto… I'm awaiting it with dread. o.o It might last a bit long because I have things to do and I need to work out the storyline for real now.


	4. Fourth Chapter

Author's Notes: Alrighty! Finally the fourth chapter… I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting so long. Thank you so much for all the comments and reads this has received…I appreciate all of it very much. X) I'm also amazed that this thing seems to have so much attention…I wouldn't have thought so many would be that interested.

Now then….let's see how little Naruto fares.

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**Fourth Chapter**

It was as if the world had been dipped in dirty, grayish-black oil. With a fiery hell bubbling under it. That's what Naruto thought. He didn't really want to think at all, so he just sat in one place all the time. If he moved, he'd rupture the sticky oil-like surface and the fire would burst out and burn…but he didn't think about it. He didn't want to "explode" and endanger the village, even now. And it _hurt_.

So he just sat in one place and stared in front of him. They had put him away in a cage like a rabid dog, but it was all fine because like this he had to think less. And sometimes he ate what they brought him. It wasn't ramen, what they brought him.

Yamato was behind the door watching him most of the time. Sometimes he wasn't, but that was very seldom. Maybe he went to sleep then. Naruto could think of _that_ because it didn't matter at all. He could also look at the bleak wall and ceiling and spot a random spider and wonder how it got in, because it had nothing to do with anything. He couldn't tell the passage of time, and he didn't have a window for that, either.

Sometimes he also lay on the bed and buried his face on the pillow and cried. But not too often.

Tsunade came to visit every now and then. Even Sai had come and gone once, too confused to say anything…that was good. And Sakura had come by a couple of times. At her, Naruto couldn't even look at. She had said "it's okay" and "it's not your fault", but she didn't probably believe that herself. Seriously, "it's okay"? Could there be anything more lame, more untrue? And she had started crying and that made it impossible to hold back his own sobs.

Tsunade said Kakashi hadn't come because he was in bed rest again because of using his Sharingan. But Naruto wondered. He hadn't used the Mangekyo in the fight. He shouldn't be in _that_ bad shape, then, right…? He just probably didn't want to see him.

Tsunade also made Naruto think. He didn't like the visits because of it. Tsunade had given him the necklace of the First Hokage…Shizune had once told him its story: she had given it to her little brother and then to her lover who had both wanted to become Hokage…and who had perished. For one last time, she had said, it was now Naruto's. That had made him feel very happy and kind of sad in the same time. He had figured it was her way of showing that she believed in him that much…but…

Yamato had told him it also served as an inhibitor. Kyuubi-inhibitor. And she had known that back then, too, and known about Kyuubi. He hadn't thought much about it at first, he had just been glad that there was the thing and Yamato to make sure he didn't hurt anyone he shouldn't…but sitting here…and _thinking_…it came to him: was it really a sign of trust, or just a collar and leash to keep the Jinchuuriki in check?

That's why he didn't want to think…

Also Iruka had come once. He hadn't said much. But the crushed look on his face had been terrible. Naruto…hated the visits, really. He just couldn't bring himself to tell Tsunade or Yamato to make them stop. Then he'd really feel no-one cared…no-one _really_ acknowledged him.

There he was, wallowing in self-pity when…Sa-- But. He didn't think that. Certainly not.

Tsunade had said she'd get Naruto out eventually. Was that really a good idea? She had mentioned his dream…but hadn't he himself said: "I can't very well become Hokage if I can't save a friend?"

…

Jiraiya was watching the Akatsuki, she had also said. That's why _he_ didn't come.

…She was oddly persistent.

--

The Fifth Hokage stepped past Yamato, still not in his ANBU gear, into the small room where they kept Naruto. She looked at the boy, who sat on his bed in the corner again. He wore a blank expression and hugged his feet, resting his chin on his knees. He had been like that for days now, always when Tsunade came to see him, but Yamato said he did sleep. Every now and then. If someone had actually seen her face then, they would have witnessed a look she hadn't shown in a long while, or to many. She might regret it, but ever since the boy won their bet and dragged Tsunade back into life again, he had been like a son to him, or another little brother. She had to hold back tears seeing "Leaf's number one loud ninja" like this.

"Naruto, you have a visitor," she said softly. Nothing or no-one seemed to make him better, but she couldn't help but to hope every time. Naruto made no answer, and Tsunade wrestled back the control of her face to turn to her high-ranked quest.

"…He has been like this for a while now," she just said and went back to the corridor. She couldn't really take this and keep up appearances in the same time. With one last wistful glance at the boy she hoped to become her successor, she went back to her duties.

The Kazekage silently watched Naruto.

A moment passed, and only then the blonde glanced at his guest. He seemed surprised, and turned to look more closely.

He looked pitiful. His hair was even more dishevelled than usually, and he was getting dark-rimmed eyes similar to the boy now standing before him. He was wearing his usual orange pants and a dark blue tank top, which were both crumpled and looked a bit unclean. His expression that lacked all the usual energy was still the worst.

Gaara must have let the shock show on his face, because Naruto quickly turned his head again. "…Go away," he said dispiritedly.

The other boy kept looking at him, and his green eyes narrowed like he was in pain. Soon he stepped closer and stood by Naruto's bed. Both of the boys were quiet for a long while, and only the guards' slight movements were heard.

Then, slowly, Naruto's face crinkled and he tightened his grip on his legs. He still refused to say anything. This all sort of made him look more like himself. At least he reacted in some way. Gaara thought for some time. This wasn't his forte, but his way seemed to be working more than others' way, which supposedly was normal. Whatever it was. Most likely talking… He remained standing and looking at Naruto intently.

"This is unlike you, Naruto," he finally said quietly. His voice was low and smooth.

Naruto stayed silent, but pressed his face on his legs. Gaara guessed he was smothering tears. The Kazekage pondered his options desperately. He really wanted to reach Naruto and make him feel better. He felt the pain in his heart very keenly now that Naruto was like this...he couldn't just _be_ if things were like this.

"…Naruto…" he said, but he didn't know how to continue. He decided to try the truth. "…Can't you please get better? I cannot be like this."

Naruto looked up, sniffing and wiping his eyes. He looked surprised. Gaara blinked.

"…You are the man who saved my life. It pains me to see you like this. It is unlike you."

"-I didn't…" Naruto rasped, but Gaara cut him off. His voice didn't sound like him.

"Maybe you didn't save my…being alive, but you saved my _life_." He looked Naruto determinedly in the eye. "I can't just be if you are in pain." He grabbed the front of his black coat and looked down, smiling very slightly, a bit sad. "I think…isn't that what you call a friend?"

He looked at Naruto with cautious hope and came a bit closer, crouching lower to see his face better.

The blonde let out a pained moan. "I broke my word!" Gaara decided to take a risk and sat on the bed near Naruto, taking a hold of his shoulder.

"You couldn't have done anything better."

"How would you know!" Naruto let the tears fall and raised his voice. Gaara smiled lightly despite the situation and blinked fast. "You weren't there!"

"I read the reports." His voice was relieved and almost a purr.

"Pft! Reports…" Naruto turned away again and ground his teeth. "I did nothing the time before that, or when he left the first time! And it doesn't matter anyway, I still broke my word! Sakura hates me!"

"…She probably doesn't. And Tsunade-sama doesn't. I think most of your friends don't…"

"Sasuke is dead!!" Naruto shouted.

Gaara didn't let go of Naruto's shoulder and faced his angry stare calmly. Only change in the red-haired boy's face was a slight wrinkling of his brow. The guards outside the door looked in worriedly through the small grate in the door.

"…You still shouldn't abandon your life." Gaara said a bit breathlessly. He saw that the whisker marks were slightly spreading on Naruto's cheeks.

"How could I go on? I've failed my way of ninja! Sasuke…is…dead!" Naruto balled his fist and covered his eyes with them, rocking minutely in his place. He kept sobbing, his breathing sounded like he was in pain.

"…That is life." Gaara said with a grim expression, and now he couldn't stop a few tears sliding down his face. He tightened his grip on Naruto's shoulder. "…No-one can always make it…nothing works out always."

Naruto slumped forward and let out a small growl. The guards moved restlessly outside.

"Get a hang of yourself. You cannot let it all go like this…!" Gaara whispered intently and shook Naruto.

"Shut up! I don't care! I'll _make_ it work always! I will!" Naruto shouted and turned to the other boy. "From now on…." He still cried hard and breathed irregularly. His voice, his expression was furious, but the whisker marks slowly receded. "_I'll make it so that it always works!!_"

Gaara smiled and his insides felt like a billowing mess of relief. "It's impossible," he laughed and took hold of Naruto's arms.

Naruto sniffed and his blue eyes flowed tears. "I don't care! From now on I'll make it work!"

"Idiot…" Gaara breathed and hugged him. That was so like him. The Naruto he knew, the person who saved him from the darkness.

--

Tsunade walked into the room with the two boys hugging each other and crying. She stopped at the door in a shock, and soon her mouth turned into a smile. She had to blink very fast and clear her throat. Naruto was finally reacting… Reacting all over the Fifth Kazekage. She wiped away a stray tear.

"You seemed to be panicking over nothing," she remarked to the guard who had come to get her when Naruto lost his temper.

Now Gaara looked at the Hokage and quickly turned his head to wipe his face a bit more dignified. Naruto sighed and did the same more openly.

"…Have you decided to talk again, Naruto?" Tsunade inquired carefully.

"…I guess so." Naruto said, subdued.

Tsunade tried not to, but in the end she just had to do it. She hugged Naruto quickly and then got up and tried to look like she hadn't done it in front of a fellow Kage and some ANBUs. "I'm glad you realised you still need to live your life," she said softly with a cautious little smile.

Naruto looked away and didn't answer, making Tsunade's expression fall a bit again.

"…I think even Sasuke wouldn't want you to waste yourself cooped up here," Tsunade said looking away.

The boy wiped his eyes again, face contorting. Next to him, Gaara placed a hand on his shoulder and then got up.

Naruto gathered himself again and looked up at his friend. "I guess I need to go now," Gaara said in his quiet way. "I will come again."

The blonde nodded solemnly. He still didn't feel like he could pull his smile.

Gaara was silent for a while. Then he looked at Tsunade and again at Naruto. "…Maybe you should come visit us in Sand, eventually."

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow and seemed to consider this. Naruto looked surprised for a moment, but then a hint of hope crept into his eyes. That was enough to make her want to fight the counsel over the matter, or even kick the old pest Danzou's arse. "Maybe a change of environment would do you good for a while," she stated determinedly.

Naruto finally realised what she was willing to do for him, and that Gaara and others also cared. He felt a bit stupid, and moved. The corners of his mouth ever so slightly turned up before he donned a determined expression.

"…Yeah. I guess that might be good. I don't think I want to sit here for all time."

Both Tsunade and Gaara could have danced of joy, but nothing more than a smile betrayed it. Naruto…was coming back!

---------------------------

Author's Notes: …Now please tell me what you think: did I pull off the angsty Naruto? I'm worried. I think I might have gone a bit overboard... But anyways, I kind of like the result…I hope you do too. Next I'll get back to Kisame again…and it should be faster than with this update, heheh.


	5. Fifth Chapter

Author's Notes: Eehh….okay, I won't make any promises about how fast the new updates will be anymore. Even though I had this short little chapter practically ready in Christmas already, the time and the inspiration to polish it off just didn't come as long as I had courses. I wish I could work on writing on lectures just like I do on drawing…even if I'm not very fast with that either, to be honest.

But! Once again I thank all who have reviewed and read this. The idea that someone's looking forward to reading my story makes me very happy. X3 I work very slowly, but you can count on me to finish this! ….Eventually!

--

**Fifth Chapter**

When the embassy of Sand Village left Leaf, the Fifth Hokage was there to see them off as was proper. No-one paid much attention to a short merchant about to return to his homeland…but if they had known how the two Kage had fought to get him into the party, they might have looked twice.

Tsunade halted by the robed supposedly-merchant standing in the shadow by a house and looked at him with eyes that one might call gentle. "Everything alright? Ready to go?"

"I'm not a kid," said the boy through his veil. His voice was rather unenthusiastic compared to his normal manner, but Tsunade sadly degreed that the loud, happy tone was likely gone for good. Or maybe she hoped he could find it again in Sand.

"Just remember all the camouflage tricks until you're inside Sand's walls…" Tsunade smiled slightly. "Even if make-up is more trouble, remember to take care of it." Sakura was the one who had painstakingly guided Naruto in applying the thick foundation to cover his whisker marks and the dark eyeliner to his eyes as was more or less customary in Wind Country. He had also dyed his hair plain brown, but the color was supposed to wear off in a couple of weeks.

"You told me that already…it's because a good ninja might detect the jutsu. I know." Blue eyes looked sidelong at the Hokage. He had complained about the make-up because he was wearing a hood that would cover most of it anyway… Oddly, more than anything that seemed to have pleased his team-mate and her sensei. But it was probably better not to make them worry for him. Naruto's tone lightened. "I'm gonna be okay! I bet the trip will be fun…I'll get to visit Sand properly this time!"

Tsunade looked around her then and quickly hugged the boy. "It's going to be alright, Naruto!" she whispered.

Naruto stared at the woman and then looked down quickly, blinking his eyes hard. There was a silence, as Naruto couldn't think of anything to say. He scowled and then turned away.

"Of…course it's going to be alright! I'm going now so we don't blow the cover." He walked towards the main group and settled to stay in the middle. No-one could recognise him…and since Yamato and Naruto's whole team would remain in Leaf, no-one was likely to suspect the Kyuubi container was gone. Even the counsel wasn't aware of this yet…Tsunade would get hell for this, but she was prepared to take it.

She observed the Kazekage cast a fleeting glance at the Sand merchant who hadn't been there before, and his blonde sister give the man a smile when passing.

Yes, he would fare better in Sand. Gaara and her siblings would take good care of him, and there was nothing in the village to remind him of Sasuke. After saving Gaara he was liked in the village by others, too…and they were skilled enough to keep Kyuubi in check. Gaara was holding some of the sealing papers that would placate him…and Yamato would eventually also get there. Very quietly, of course.

She sighed and prayed for all to go well for the blonde boy. Maybe he could piece himself together with Gaara's help. After some time he could return…and maybe by then he could take the fact that Sasuke's killer was now working for Leaf.

The Sand's caravan left after Tsunade had formally bade farewell to the young Kazekage. She looked after them, long enough to see Naruto look back once, the eyes lingering…and then his head snap forward. Stubbornly. She smiled and turned. Keep looking forward, Naruto.

--

The man who was maybe the reason for all this had no idea of what would happen to the blonde boy who disturbed his thoughts. Just like most of the village, he presumed Naruto was merely going to be held in custody. Kisame had now spent about two weeks in Leaf, accounting all he knew about the Akatsuki organization and also Hidden Mist Village again and again to different Leaf officials. But still he had idle time…too much to his liking. When not doing anything, he found himself nervous, unable to relax. And in the end, recounting his time in the Akatsuki again and again did little to pacify him. He had even went to ask Tsunade about when he would receive his first mission even though he knew full well that she would have just told him if it was possible. Needless to say, Tsunade had told him just that.

He needed something to divert his attention….something he could focus on and fill his quiet moments with. And he had remembered the man he met at the hot springs.

He visited the spa a couple of times in that same time, hoping to come across the man again, but he met no-one. He wondered if he had scared Iruka away, so that he was avoiding the springs, but he still went. It was not like he couldn't afford it…Tsunade paid him enough to be sure he wouldn't get second thoughts because of _that_.

On his way to his fourth visit to the spa inside the week, Kisame hesitated a bit. Maybe he was being stupid: Iruka might have just happened to visit here that one time at this hour. He did like the springs, but enough was enough. Maybe it was time to give up…find something else to occupy him. Like finding out where that green-clad weirdo who had kicked him in the face three years ago lived. Fighting him would get him into trouble, but he was on the verge of doing it nonetheless.

He paid for the bath regardless, and went into the dressing room. As he undressed and headed for the door, he almost missed a carefully folded Chuunin uniform tucked away inconspicuously in the furthermost corner.

He smiled.

When he entered the bathing area he moved just a little bit stealthier than really necessary, and managed to walk all the way to the edge of the spring before Iruka noticed him. And yes, it was indeed Iruka and no-one else. It was again the same day as last time…it figured, this must have been the only fitting day in his curriculum as he was a teacher. To Kisame's satisfaction, Iruka's eyes widened when he noticed the shark nin, and as he slid into the water, the man turned his face with a decisively stern expression. With his hair down he was…pretty.

"…Hello again, Umino-san," Kisame greeted with a polite smile.

He received no answer save a minute sigh.

Well, it wasn't like Kisame could blame him for being distant. He wasn't about to give up on this so soon, though. "….How is Naruto?" he ventured. The concern in his voice was real, which was probably why Iruka even answered. Before the Chuunin spoke, Kisame had time to notice that that may not have been the best choice of subject. For him or for Iruka.

Still not looking at the bigger man, Iruka slowly spoke:"…He is still in custody and he doesn't seem to be getting better."

Kisame's stomach lurched. "….So there's something wrong with him? I thought he was only being held because Kyuubi's influence broke out again…."

Iruka looked up angrily, only to have his face change into an expression of surprised suspicion. As far as he could tell, Kisame was truly worried. He still couldn't believe it. There was no way he could have built that strong a connection to Naruto! They had only met twice, and so briefly!

He decided to voice his thoughts. "Frankly, I can't believe you'd care that much. And I don't know why you'd play that act. Naruto's condition is not your concern, is it? You're not even allowed to see him…"

Kisame answered him with an odd smile that made him feel uncomfortable. "Maybe I was indeed wrong to trouble you about it, Umino-san." That voice was _pointy_. Short and angry words. Iruka stared, perplexed. Why would he pull such an act? Could he even fake it that well?

There was a lengthy silence, during which they stared at each other. The way Kisame didn't blink was highly disconcerting, and Iruka started to blush slightly despite himself. He told himself it was anger. The shark nin might have been going through an internal argument, but his face, with it's stony _affronted_ look, was as immobile as his eyes.

Finally Kisame lifted a brow, as if deciding something, and abruptly stood up to leave. "I am sorry to have bothered you, Umino-san."

Iruka looked away, wordless. The shark nin was behaving oddly. And…he wasn't looking at him like that. Certainly not. That would have been even worse than normally…

Back in the locker rooms, Kisame dried himself off and pulled his clothes back on, moving fast and annoyed. Who would have guessed the little brunette could get under his skin so effectively? It seemed it hadn't been such a good idea to try and hit on him. But, objectively thinking…he himself was much too sensitive about Naruto. He sighed and ruffled his hair.

"…Naruto is very depressed," said Iruka's voice, sounding almost inquiring. Kisame looked mutely at the door and the man, standing there with his towel wrapped around his waist. "…He won't talk and everyone's worried."

Kisame straightened his back and still stared at Iruka in surprise. When he was opening his mouth to say something, Iruka spoke again. "Tell me, why are you so worried about him? I really can't understand."

"…I have my reasons," Kisame smiled slightly. He couldn't really tell the man he thought he was…fond of the kid, or that he felt he could identify with him… "I'm sure you've noticed he has a way with people." Iruka wouldn't be happy with just that… "I think I felt sorry for him about that mess with the Uchiha kid…and in any case, I was getting fed up with the Akatsuki."

"So Naruto just happened to be there conveniently as a way to get into Leaf?" Iruka cocked an eyebrow. But curiously, he didn't sound angry. Maybe he believed in that reason just as much as Kisame did.

"Heh, I suppose I don't like to admit it, but it seems I did indeed develop a soft spot for him." Kisame scratched the back of his head.

Iruka was astoundingly convincing as an interrogator for being an Iruka in a white towel. He walked closer and scrutinized Kisame's face. The slight redness on his cheeks was only a minor detriment.

"In meeting him just twice, and at both times ending up in a fight with him?"

"…Sharp." Kisame smiled again, and he was feeling an odd mix of joy and annoyance. For some reason the brown-haired Chuunin cared enough to ask, but he was also getting threateningly close to some uncomfortable subjects. "…I did meet him once in between these two times, when he was out of Leaf on his training voyage…"

Iruka suddenly manifested an almost scary face that had a striking resemblance to what in Kisame's mind was described as the mother lion-phenomenon. He hurriedly continued.

"He had gotten separated from Jiraiya-sama, but in the end, having watched him a bit, I just couldn't take him." A little smile.

The Chuunin still didn't seem entirely satisfied, but Kisame told him he had shared this little story with the Hokage as well, and that two different interrogators had verified it as true. According to them, he hadn't lied. Maybe Umino-san would be happy with what the Hokage was happy?

Iruka seemed somewhat subdued and his gaze relented, averting to the wall. Kisame bet he still wasn't entirely satisfied… Maybe he sensed there was something more. But the cold feel from him was gone.

After a while of silence, Iruka corrected his towel slightly and muttered: "I suppose. …If the Hokage trusts you, who am I to doubt her…" The tone was…professional, but the fact that the man even said something like that was a lot. For a brief moment Kisame wondered if what the Chuunin felt for Naruto was something akin to his feelings…but he dismissed the thought. Iruka was way too proper for that.

"I'm glad, Umino-san," he said calmly, and picked up his Chuunin vest. After adjusting the forehead protector, he collected his other things and bowed his head with a small, dry smile. "Maybe I'll see you again."

Iruka nodded back, in a way that could be described as nothing else than meek…as if he might have been a bit sorry…but Kisame was quite sure he wouldn't meet the man again. With mixed feelings he walked out, leaving Iruka to dress up in peace. Maybe it was for the best…Iruka was perhaps a bit too close to Naruto. Tsunade might not like it. Eventually, it might put Kisame in danger of crossing Naruto's territory. Yes, Tsunade clearly wanted him nowhere near Naruto's life. Maybe it was for the best…

But curiously, that same time the next week they were both at the hot springs again.

--

Author's Notes: Next up...more about Kisame and Iruka and a little look on Naruto. My idea is clear, but I don't know when I'll be able to type it down…and it should be a little longer chapter than this.


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